Before the Green Flash
by SunsetsOnBattlefields
Summary: He had to leave her, it was for her own safety. Although she missed him life had to continue. They would see each other again, right?
1. Chapter 1

I don't own any of these characters, I just thought this might make a good story. Let me know what you think!

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><p>Him<p>

He tossed and turned unable to sleep. Sunlight seeped through the thin curtains bathing the room with a yellowy glow. Dust circled in the small shaft of light pouring from the gap between the curtains. He watched it for a while before sitting up slowly and looking to his left where she was sleeping peacefully, curled up in the foetal position. She slept like that when she was anxious or scared of something. He knew she'd been sleeping in that position a lot lately, not that he ever told her. He would scare her more if he did. In one fluid motion he climbed out of the bed and padded across the room to the wardrobe dressing as silently and quickly as he could. He didn't want her to see him. As soon as he'd put his belongings in the small rucksack he'd left on the desk, he left the room and slipped down the stairs to the kitchen.

The kitchen was a large room filled with cupboards. A small oven and hob sat next to the large sunken sink, a small fridge next to the door. He opened the fridge and pulled out the small lonely bunch of grapes he bought late last night for his breakfast this morning. Without hesitation he pulled a handful of grapes off the vine and threw them one-by-one into his mouth before sitting at the old oak table. Worn and faded, the table looked like it had seen better, happier days and was a perfect reflection of his feelings. Tired and rough but still loved. He slowly put the bunch of grapes into his rucksack and pulled out a piece of paper and pen.

The second the pen touched the paper words spilled onto it filling it before he knew what he was writing. Eventually, the letters stopped to flow and he looked down at the paper for the last time before signing it and folding it in half neatly. He propped it against the fruit bowl in the middle of the table, picked up his rucksack and left the house.

Her

As the door slammed she woke up. '_He's gone to work early' _she thought to herself as she got up. She made the bed and dressed carefully. She opened the curtains and allowed the sunlight to spill into every corner of the room, watching the birds fly outside made her feel apprehensive. Today didn't feel like a normal day, he hadn't woken her with a cup of tea to say goodbye as he left for work. As she tidied the room the eerie feeling followed her like a cloud of dust.

She wandered downstairs trying to shake the feeling of apprehension away, expecting he'd left in a hurry and had forgotten to bring her a cup of tea. She entered the kitchen and instead of seeing the cup of tea she was expecting there was a note. Had she forgotten a birthday or anniversary and he was just reminding her? Did she have an appointment he was telling her about? She sat down at the table and pulled the note towards her. Something still didn't feel right. She tentatively unfolded the note and began to read:

_My darling Lily,_

_Please forgive me for what I've done, but it's for the greater good. I don't know how long I will be away, but please know I will never stop thinking about you. The day we married I made a promise to love and support you forever and you will be in my heart wherever I go. By leaving you I believe it's the only way I can protect you and keep you safe. I never want anyone to hurt you, although I know it hurts me to leave you. You will be safer without me, we all know it's me they want and not you. We may not be in contact for a while, but I will try to send word to you whenever I can. As soon as I've sorted everything I'll come home. Everything needs to be put right. I'm so sorry. I love you._

_Forever yours,_

_James_


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, it's been a little while, sorry I've been so busy recently with school. Anyway, here's chapter two. I hope it's alright, I was kind of lazy and rushed it a bit.

I don't own any of the characters or the main idea behind the story, that's all J.K. Rowling's work.

Enjoy!

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><p>Lily<p>

She started up from the table so violently and quickly that she tipped the fruit bowl off the table. It hit the floor hard and smashed into millions of beautiful shards. She didn't care anymore. She wanted a piece to cut into her bare foot, just so she could feel something. Everything was numb. Her feet carried her out of the house and down the garden path to the muggle phone-box at the end of the street. After looking around quickly, she slipped her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at the telephone before dialling the only person she wanted to talk to at that moment.

_Ring…Ring…_She waited impatiently for the chance to just talk to someone. Just as she was about to hang up, a familiar voice answered.

"Hello?... Who is it?... Is anyone there? Hello?" She'd been waiting to speak for so long, but Lily couldn't say anything. "Lily, is that you? How's everything?"  
>"He's… he's. It's James…" she stammered unable to bring herself to say those two words.<br>"Lily, what's he done? Have you had a fight? Talk to me Lily."  
>"Oh, Orla. He's gone." She whispered the words into the telephone, the reality of the only just sinking in.<br>"Lils surely it can't be that bad. Do you want me to come over and talk. I'm supposed to be going shopping for Oliver, but that can wait. Besides, he's only four. He won't miss new shoes will he? Actually, can I bring him too? I should really be looking for a nursery or something for him to start, but you need me more at this moment in time. I can be there in a few minutes. Floo?" Typical Orla, forgetting about her own family and coming to the rescue of her best friend. Lily couldn't help but smile to herself as she heard this.  
>"Sure, sure bring him round. I'll put the kettle on. Sorry, I ruined your plans, I just needed to talk to someone." She hung up the phone and walked back to the house.<p>

Not five minutes later, Orla and Oliver Wood were sitting in Lily's front room, a steaming mug of tea in each of their hands and a large tabby cat squashing Oliver as it sat on his knee, purring contentedly. Orla had been one of Lily's closest friends since she'd been eleven. They met on the first day of school, both of them having been sorted into Gryffindor. Throughout their time at Hogwarts they'd shared all of their secrets with each other, well Orla had told Lily everything. Lily had always remained quiet about her friendship with Severus Snape, not telling anyone how heartbroken she'd been when they fell out at the end of their O.W.L.S.

After Hogwarts they had lost touch for a few years until Lily had received an invite to the wedding of Orla Finch and Robbie Wood, a handsome and charming Ravenclaw two years older than the two girls, whose social sphere's had never really mixed. Yet when Lily watched them walk down the aisle of the small church together, she could see that they had been perfect for each other. She had mentioned this to Orla at the reception, while Robbie and James, then her boyfriend, had discussed Quidditch, with Robbie being the Keeper; and captain of Edinburgh Elves Quidditch team.

"So, Lils, tell me exactly what happened." Orla said. "I want to know the whole story, right down to the tiniest detail."  
>"Well…" Lily began slowly, but she found the more she spoke the more free-er her tongue felt and before she knew it she had broken down into a fit of tears, her face buried into her best friends shoulder. "…then I rang you." She finished quietly. Her usually loud friend looked at her silently, unsure what to say.<br>"I…I don't know what to say. Had he mentioned leaving before?"  
>"No, never, he'd always said he hoped that the time would never come for it."<br>"Do you think anything could have provoked him to leave?"  
>"I don't think so" Lily gulped. "James had had a long talk with Dumbledore that day- that's it! Dumbledore. He and James had been discussing some Order business last night. I need to talk to him now."<br>"Lily" her friend warned. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You'll just end up even more upset than you are now. Just calm down, wait until tomorrow. Please?" Much against her better judgements Lily agreed not to contact Dumbledore until she was calmer. They both sat in silence for a few minutes, watching Oliver play with the cat quietly. Lily, lent down and stroked his hair softly before whisking him into the air like a muggle aeroplane and plonking him down on her knee.  
>"So little man, you've grown so much since your auntie Lily last saw you" she cooed softly.<br>"I have grown so much" he repeated proudly before looking into her eyes and saying "Auntie Lily, when is uncle James coming home? He promised we could play Quidditch now I'm four."  
>" Sweetie, he's very busy at work today. He'll come and see you very soon" Orla told her son, watching Lily, as her eyes began to water again. "Goodness, is that the time? Come on baby, we've got to go home. Daddy will be missing his little keeper won't he?"<p>

The two women hugged and promised to talk the next day before Orla scooped up Oliver and neatly stepped into the fire-place spinning out of sight in the blink of an eye.


End file.
